The Holy Izbitzher says we see from here that evidently there are never any limitations to creating spheres of holiness wherever we go. These places are imbued with the sanctity of Eretz Yisroel as well, as related in the teaching that tells us that after the destruction of the Temple, Hashem dwells in the portable ‘four cubits of Torah’. We can indeed expand the universe of the holiness that is unique to the Land of Israel to wherever we seek to recreate it.

The Torah goes into great detail in describing the conquests of the different territories that comprised this division of inheritance, listing the very names of the cities conquered.

At the very end of this discussion, at the conclusion of the portion of Maasei, the Torah records a fascinating detail. Firstly, that Yair, a member of the tribe of Menashe, conquered the villages of Gilead and called them Chavos Yair, the Villages of Yair, as he had no children and sought to memorialize his name for posterity by associating his reputation with these permanent additions to the Land of Israel. (רש"י)

Immediately following this verse it goes on to record that Novach, too, captured enemy territory and ‘called it Novach after his name’.

Rashi intimates that whereas Yair’s lands are still identified ‘to this day’ with his name, Novach’s, however, eventually faded from memory. He offers no reason other than the evidence of this in the verse that states ויקרא לה נבח בשמו, and called it Novach, after his name, which leaves out the usual מפיק, dot, in the word לה, it, that would have made it an aspirate hey (להּ), now indicating that it is silent, contrary to the general rule. Rebbi Moshe HaDarshan asserts that it was due to the fact that this naming did not last, that it appears as a silent letter, being pronounced more closely to the word לֹא, for ‘no’, indicating its non-permanence.

Why did Yair alone merit to be memorialized and where did Novach fail?

The Yalkut Reuveini quoting from the disciples of the Arizal states that the word לה, referenced here is an acronym for the sin of לשון הרע, slander. The word נֹבח, literally means to bark. The Holy Chida quotes in the name of the Arizal that the soul of one who speaks slander will reincarnate into a dog. The barking dog is symbolic of a frustrated soul embedded in the body of a dog.

The sin that initiated all of the consequent exiles from our land was that of the slander of the Spies who denigrated the land and were thus prevented from entering it.

There seems to be then some indication that a taint of this sin existed within Novach that precluded his name from being forever identified with this parcel of land.

The verses at the beginning of Maasei describe the forty two journeys they traveled in the desert during the forty year sojourn. These travels served as a blueprint for all future exiles in our long history. The very first verse, אלה מסעי בני ישראל, These are the journeys of the Children of Israel, alludes to the four exiles we would endure. The first letter in each of these words, correspond to one of the four kingdoms we would be subjected to: אדום/Rome, מדי/Media, בבל/Bavel and יון/Greece.

It is clear that there is something about this Novach/barking/slander notion that is the reason we are still in exile.

The Chida cites from the book Zera Beirach, a disciple of the great Kabbalist, the Megaleh Amukos, who points out two characteristics of a dog. A dog barks constantly because he is cursed to never be fully satisfied. Additionally he points out there is a klippah, a negative spiritual force in the form of a dog that is entitled בלאדן, a contraction of the words בלא אדון, without a master, indicating the dog’s denial of the Creator.

One who slanders seeks to incriminate everyone else for the faults of the world. Never taking stock of his own deficiencies, the slanderer sees not a Hand of Providence, only others who are to blame for his lack of success. He thus barks constantly since one who mistakenly attacks those who are incapable of determining his fate will yelp endlessly in false hope they can effect his destiny.

The moment one accepts Divine control of his life, understanding that devoting oneself to promoting the will of Hashem will warrant success, and seeking to advance one own’s stature and standing will only drive others away and entice one to constantly condemn and blame all those around him for his failures.

Yair never thought about himself alone, but rather placed himself in the context of the villages. He thus named them Yair’s Villages to accent his privilege in creating cities imbued with his drive and spirit. Novach simply saw the spoils as a means to promote his stature and self, calling the cities Novach ‘after his name’, for that is all he sought. By Yair it doesn’t emphasize ‘his name’, simply Yair’s Village, his sense of opportunity to create and expand the boundaries of kedusha, holiness.

One who is wrapped up in one’s own identity and standing, forgetting about responsibility and devotion to a greater cause, will come to foolishly ‘bark’ at those around him when sensing a lack of success, and will never be sated.

May we shackle our talents and devote them to seeking opportunities of spiritual growth and utter connection to the One and Only provider of all our successes.

Let us stop barking up the wrong tree! Let us expand the borders of holiness to occupy our every space.

באהבה,

צבי יהודה טייכמאן